State Officials Launch New College Initiative

State officials Tuesday announced a new college initiative. The plan urges adults who started college but didn’t finish to go back and complete their degrees. 

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The program is called Go Back. Move Ahead. Gov. Nathan Deal said it’s part of his Complete College Georgia plan.

“It is projected that by 2020,more than 60% of the jobs in Georgia will require a college certificate or a degree,” Deal said. “Today, only 42% of Georgians hold a degree or certificate.”

To close that gap, officials want to make it easier for former students to return to school. Higher education officials say they’ve simplified enrollment, added online courses, and made schedules more flexible. But University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby said it’s not just about the students.

“It is not only in their best interest, from a quality of life, from an income standpoint, but it’s also quite frankly essential to the future growth and vitality of this state,” Huckaby said.

Huckaby and Georgia’s Technical System Commissioner, Ron Jackson, also said it will be easier for students to transfer credits from one system to the other.